Final answer:
The Supreme Court's policy towards corporations during the Gilded Age was generally supportive, with decisions that often sided with business interests and reflected a hesitant acceptance of federal regulation aimed at managing corporate power.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Gilded Age, the Supreme Court's policies towards corporations were generally supportive. This era saw the Court reinterpret the Fourteenth Amendment to protect the rights of corporations against state government interference, a move that reflected the nation's ambivalence towards the increasing power of large businesses.
Amidst the belief in American Exceptionalism and the fear of an oligarchy controlled by a few powerful business leaders, there was a push by some reformers to use the federal government's power to regulate the market in the public interest.
The period also involved key legislation like the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, aimed at providing relief to curb monopolistic practices, but it was largely ineffective due to a laissez-faire attitude prevalent among the public and a patronage-laden federal government.
Mark Twain labeled the times as the Gilded Age to underscore the corporate domination and corruption among government officials. Despite this, there was a sense among some business leaders that limited government intervention might promote stability and better relations between labor and management. This was seen as preferable to more substantial reform that could arise from public criticism.
Additionally, the pro-business orientation of administrations such as Warren Harding's made it clear that government intervention was often aimed at burgeoning industry rather than restraining it.